OF SELBORNE. 231 



forward with egg, I myself, when I was a 

 sportsman, have often experienced. It 

 cannot indeed be denied but that now and 

 then we hear of a woodcock's nest, or young- 

 birds, discovered in some part or other of 

 this island : but then they are always men- 

 tioned as rarities, and somewhat out of the 

 common course of things : but as to red- 

 wings and fieldfares, no sportsman or natu- 

 ralist has ever yet, that 1 could hear, pre- 

 tended to have found the nest or young of 

 those species in any part of these kingdoms. 

 And I the more admire at this instance as 

 extraordinary, since, to all appearance, the 

 same food in Summer as well as in Winter 

 might support them here which maintains 

 theircongenerSjtheblackbirds and thrushes, 

 did they choose to stay the Summerthrough. 

 From hence it appears that it is not food 

 alone Avhich determines some species of 

 birds with regard to their stay or depar- 

 ture. Fieldfares and redwings disappear 

 sooner or later according as the warm 

 weather comes on earlier or later. For I 



